San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-17
THE ALLEN GIRLS.
NEW ENGLAND STORY.
"If is bad to haoe money, It's s0orss
to haze none"
BY MISS KATE RICHMOND.


problem &c he.. And though she knew
well enough the tempest of conjecture
and criticism and unkindly remark that
George Hollands presence in the house
would arouse, the nearer misery OF these
days shut it all out. As for him, he
never thought of it. suppose if he
had, he would not have cared. He had
lived too long outside of conventional
tiles.
In. the long days when he was not
housekeeping he wandered about the
still rooms with strange feeling of
treading on sacred ground. Mrs. Allen
had given him the freedom of the house
with trembling lips. He smoked his CT
CARS wherever he pleased; the feeling of
sacredness did not hinder that sort of
incense burning.
At shutdown one night DR.. Sprague
came.
Holland came in from the kitchen.
He was in his shirt-sleeves, and there
was dash of -four in his moustache.
He looked hot and cross.
1--WE been baking biscuit" he said,
"and saleratus is the devil"
why don't you use baking powderp"
Because you were not here to send
".
'.Irwil bring it in the morning. I
Holland looked at him.
THE turning point comes tonight
for both of them" answering the I'M
spoken question. And the end is
doubtful"
He came back to Holland after a
while. All night the two men sat in the
dimly-lighted porch. At intervals
Sprague went to the sick-room. Hol-
land did not leave his chair. The brief
summer night went on. He heard the
hours strike in the house; the great,
slow stars went on and down their short
circuit. At dawn, after longer stay
than usual doctor came back.
"a They are going t0get well, he said,
"but bow don't dare think. Next to
the way I've struggled for those girls
lives I've fought for their complex
IONS"
xviii you come up nowp"
Holland started up. He was still in
the house. Indeed the inmates were
by no means out of quarantine, though
the nurse had gone back. and all sorts
Of disinfecting disturbances had been
going on for some days.
He stoo0 in the room. He knew that
the two sisters were there, dressed,
waiting for him, but he stood on the
threshold without raising his eyes.
"How do you do, Mr.. Hollandp" 1t
was Kitty's voice, tremulous and high
keyed with weakness. And still he did
not look up. .-...---.
20, you may look at Leah,n Kitty
went on, querulously. "She won't shock
You; but you may keep your eyes of
me. If you please"
He crossed the room and took the two
wasted hands that Leah held out to
him.
my dear" he said, II vowed that If
this minute ever came, l should ask the
question that left unspoken the last
time / saw you. Willyou be my wifep"
Kitty sprang to her feet.
Leah, you sha'ntl George Holland,
she is only selling herself to you be-
cause we are so poor. You think be-
cause she has been 80 i'll and has lost
her beauty that she will say yes"
"KittyW Leah's voice sounded clear
element was at too high flood to be
checked by word.
"You came into the house when no
one else would come: you have kept us
from starvation, believe; and now you
spoil it all by this. Leah shall not mar
ry YOU"
She stumbled back into her chair with
a sob.
"You know just how people will talk
about us. 1t is the price we shall have
70 pay for being kept alive. And you
think 1t will force her to accept you"
a.. Without one other word George HOl-
land dropped the hand he held, and
went out of the room and out of the
house. DR.. Sprague was not In his
Office. He shut himself into an inner
room, and waited. The doctor came
after he had had an hour for reflection,
and brought him a card with a feebly
pencilled line over Leah's name:
do not go away till have seen you
a@ain ~ &